why so many people feel like failures

[Time Bider]

The American dogma is: "If you set a goal and work to achieve it, you
will achieve it."

It's an oversimplification, of course. You have to take into account
how realistic your goal is in the first place, and then what kind of
obstacles you face.

But Hollywood specializes in making movies in which the main
characters overcome insurmountable obstacles--and every year outdoes
itself in how insurmountable the obstacles are. Some movies even have
their character achieving the literally impossible.

In real life, _nobody_ overcomes insurmountable obstacles. In fact,
few people overcome even moderate ones. But the fate of the majority
of Americans gets buried under the exclusive attention given to
fictitious examples of improbable success stories.

And real-life examples, too. The one in 10 million singers who makes
it big, the one in 15 million actors who becomes a star, the one in 30
teams that wins the Superbowl, all get our exclusive attention. The
preponderance of failures is merely ignored.

The result is that most people end up aiming too high and failing; and
those who achieve some modest success still feel like failures because
they haven't achieved the impossible.

Miki

[Gelly]

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-sided-Relentless-Promotion-Positive-Undermined/dp/0805087494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261614736&sr=1-1

Saw this in the bookstore yesterday. Good female sociological writer.
I think this her brand new book.

It's very true that supposed "negativity" has its purpose in life too
-- anger and hate exist for good reasons... they can be the greatest
motivators for change. Also in keeping a hold on reality. Trick is
just not getting lost in anger and hate, but channeling it right.

One of the blurbs on the back cover of the book was something about
the writer of the blurb practically begging Oprah et al to read and
promote this book... you know Oprah is all high on the Course in
Miracles and The Secret stuff. I agree that there are definite flaws
in this type of thing, as powerful as it can be sometimes.

[Miguel Alberto]

It helps to know that over 75% of the worlds species are parasites.
And then, all humanity is considered to be a destructive parasite on the
Earth, anyway. Be useful? Be used? If THEY don't allow you a death, THEY
owe you a living.